As I'm sure a lot of you have heard from the viral news story, a protected lion in Zimbabwe was found killed in an alleged trophy hunt. The hunter, an American dentist, supposedly paid $55,000 to have the animal lured out of protected lands so he would 'legally' kill him. Cecil the lion was well-loved in the park and leaves behind a substantial pride (including recent cubs of his own).

Hunting is a pretty hot-button issue with many, but I find this sort of big game hunting pretty deplorable. This creature's flesh fed nobody, his body left to rot in the sun. He was not shown any honour or respect. This was not for any purpose other than a head and something to brag about. But thanks to an enraged internet, it seems Cecil might get some sort of justice as the hunter who took his life is facing intense backlash.

Personally, I am lighting candle for Cecil and asking my spirits to help him be at peace if they can. While this is a sad story to share, I wanted to ask others to do something similar if they felt inclined. Rest in peace, big guy.

I see hunting as a food source only. The native Americans always asked for forgiveness of the animal or plant before killing it. They always explained why they needed to take it's life.

Maybe others can learn this lesson before taking another life unnecessarily. As for the jerk who killed Cecil, may he burn in jail for his crimes.

Yes I have been having my say about this jerk who claims that he didn't know that this lion was a collared lion and from a safe park!!!!! He had no idea that this lion was one that was not suppose to be hunted!!!!

I don't believe him!!! I have looked at his past hunting history, and he has hunted animals that are on the endanger list, rhino, elephant, just to name a few!!!! I believe this guy knew exactly what was going on and now since he is not getting the reaction that he wanted, aka, the great and big game hunter, he is back tracking really fast and now is worried that he might be in more trouble then what he thought!!!! Personally, I hope they slap the book at him!!! The reason is, since he killed Cecil, all of Cecil's cubs will be killed by the other male lion who will take Cecil's place, so this so called hunter is responsible for their deaths as well!!!! Karma is a <<removed by mod>> !!!!

starfire :dragons::

I am not a hunter, never killed an animal except by accident (hitting in a car), but I will not say that I fully agree with people's responses. People calling for his killing is just plain wrong. Two wrongs don't make a right. You can be against what he did, without calling for violence towards him, his family, his friends, or even his business. I've noticed that a lot of animal rights activists are willing to at least talk big about doing violence against humans, but they are forgetting that humans are animals too. Yes, we are a different kind of animal, but we are still animals nonetheless. So be upset, but not to the point where you start to threaten others. I realize that online everyone is all big, bad, and tough, but in reality most people are not. So don't go saying something that you might regret, you never know when it might come back to bite you.

RIP Cecil.

The only recreational hunting & shooting that should be allowed is with a camera!!!

I hope he's extradited and rots in a Zimbabwe jail. He killed a patriarch lion and by extension, about 24 cubs that are currently with the pride, because the incoming males won't let the cubs of a rival live. The incoming male or males want those lionesses to stop nursing and go into heat, so they can create cubs of their own, and so they kill any cubs they find.

I would love to see karma give this guy a big boot in the rump, decisively and in public, for his selfish and callous decision.

Just SAD. You want a lion...get a spirit lion! Much better! I never will deal in endangered species items, or kill for sport. I do own a fossil tiger tooth, but it has been ROCK for thousands of years before I was born.

This dreadful 'man' should be made to use his fortune to raise Cecil's Cubs securely until they are old enough and able to return to the wild.

Alternatively he should adopt them and raise them himself....

That is how the old Shamans would have dispensed justice in the traditional way.... 1wa

What I find deplorable about this story is that a well educated man travels to another continent to kill a majestic being in order to get some kind of "high" out of it !!!
What a sad excuse for a human being!!!
He has previous with this as well according to another news site....he also killed a black bear in north America and allegedly moved the body to an area where it was legal to kill them after he realised his mistake.
He will be doing damage limitation now....as he just "doesn't get it" what he has done wrong.
He paid $50,000 to kill this lion with a bow and arrow....messed that up and then the "professional hunters" took 40 hours to kill it with a rifle!!!!!!
The hunters guides are facing charges now and penalties of up to 15 years in prison for this.
They all knew what they were doing as they tried to remove the tracking collar from the corpse and failed to do so. Cecil was part of a conservation project run from Oxford university.
Even his official response made my stomach turn....so obviously drafted by his lawyer or new PR team to deal with this....repeatedly banging on about how legal it all is etc and his only regret was that Cecil was well known. They lured Cecil out of the safe zone with the scent of a dragged carcass.....yes...very legal and noble!!! Not!!!!

How much is he over charging as a dentist to throw $50k away on this senseless behaviour????